Editorial: Gonzales will bring plenty

That's fine, except that he is a member of the Tech faculty precisely because of his past, and a controversial past it is.

Gonzales, though, can bring much to the table as a lecturer at the Lubbock campus. And Tech Chancellor Kent Hance shouldn't apologize for bringing such a hot-button faculty member to Texas Tech.

Gonzales served as AG during some of the most tumultuous times of the Bush administration. He was at the center of a firestorm over decisions dealing with national security in a time of war. Gonzales' fiercest critics have accused him of breaking the law, perhaps even committing treason, over decisions regarding the government's efforts to prevent terrorists from doing more harm.

But his new role as a lecturer at Texas Tech puts him in position to impart his knowledge of government, and perhaps even his role in a controversial administration.

The handful of Tech faculty members who have protested Gonzales' hiring - none of whom serve in the political science department - seem to miss a critical point. A university ought to be a place where all ideas are welcome.

Gonzales, it must be remembered, had a stellar legal career before he entered public service. And his public service career includes a stint on the Texas Supreme Court, as well as Texas secretary of state and as White House counsel.

Just as West Texas A&M University stoked interest in its convocation this year by inviting former Bush political guru Karl Rove as its speaker, Texas Tech has elevated its profile significantly by adding Alberto Gonzales to its faculty roster.